


Children of Providence

by LadySongmaster



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Ahsoka Tano (mentioned) - Freeform, CC-1119 | Appo - Freeform, CT-0000/1010 | Sergeant Fox, Canon Divergence - Order 66, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Din is doing his best, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Grogu | Baby Yoda - Freeform, Karking Force Osik, Kidnapping, Mando Shenanigans, Mando'a Language (Star Wars), No Beta We Die Like Mandalorians, Original Mandalorian Character(s) - Freeform, Paz is a good vod, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, mand'alor din djarin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29953095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySongmaster/pseuds/LadySongmaster
Summary: Din Djarin has been mand'alor for ten years. The Force has decided he's ready to set some wrongs to rights.
Comments: 25
Kudos: 150





	1. Percussive Recalibration

**Author's Note:**

> For a friend, who handed me the plot bunny and said, "Have fun storming the castle!"

Din Djarin and Paz Vizsla, along with two of Din’s _ori’ramikade_ Silk Zivak and Aedo Wres, skulked in the shadow of massive statues that guarded the entrance to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Twilight had fallen and the plaza at the base of the massive stairs that led to the Temple was deserted.

“Karking Force _osik_ ,” Paz muttered.

Din had to agree. In the years that he’d been _mand’alor_ , working with the likes of Ahsoka Tano, Luke Skywalker, and Ezra Bridger, he’d seen quite a few things he couldn’t explain. None of those things had prepared him to be flung almost fifty years into the past.

Din, Paz, and a few of Din’s _ori’ramikade_ , had been taking a much-needed break on Concordia. Aedo claimed to see movement in a cave as they were out hunting and dragged Silk along to check it out for possible danger. When they hadn’t returned, Din and Paz had followed. Din didn’t know what happened after that, except that he’d woken up with his three _verde_ , against a stone wall under a strange sky. Thankfully, Silk had a starmap loaded in her HUD, and was able to identify the constellations overhead.

“So, we’re at the _jetii_ Temple,” Paz murmured.

“Yes,” Din said.

“On Coruscant.”

“Got it in one, _vod_ ,” Aedo teased, poking Paz between his armor plates.

Paz slapped the white-skinned Nautolan’s hand away.

“And you think this is the night the Purge is going to happen,” Paz continued.

“I think it’s already started,” Din said, gesturing to the far end of the plaza.

A long column of men in white armor was appearing from the darkness beyond, marching toward the Temple.

“Well, what the hell?” Paz groused. “If the Force is going to send us back in time, why not give us the resources to stop the Purge from happening?”

Din agreed on principle. “We’d need an army to stop something of that magnitude. Maybe the Force couldn’t send that many people back.”

“So, what are we supposed to do, _mand’alor_?” Silk, a Theelin female with silver _beskar’gam_ edged in yellow, asked.

Din sighed and tried to recall everything he’d learned about this night from Ahsoka and Ezra. Neither of them had been at the Temple, but both had experienced the betrayal of their clones. And Ahsoka had told him about the chips. How Captain Rex had managed to override the order he’d been given, if only for a moment. Ezra had talked about his master, Kanan Jarrus, also known as Caleb Dume, and how one of his clones, Commander Grey, had allowed him to escape.

“I’ve been told the clones don’t have to obey the order to kill the _jetiise_ ,” Din said. “They can override it, though it is difficult. I’m going to see if I can help them make that leap. Maybe we can at least save some of the Jedi in the Temple.”

“And what are we doing while you’re facing down the advancing horde by yourself, _m’alor_?” Aedo asked with a wry tone.

Din turned to his two most trusted lieutenants; aside from Paz. “You and Silk are going to warn the _jetiise_. Paz will help me face down the horde.”

Both _ori’ramikade_ shared a look.

“What about—” Silk began.

“No,” Din said, though it tore at his heart. He couldn’t take the risk that removing Grogu from the Temple would alter the future so much that he’d never see his _ad_ again. “He survived this night once already. He’ll do it again.”

He could tell by the cant of their _buy’cese_ that his _verde_ thought he was crazy to leave the youngling.

“What if we’re the ones who got him out of the Temple the first time,” Silk insisted. “If we leave him here . . .”

“Karking Force _osik_ ,” Aedo and Paz muttered in tandem.

“Warn the _jetiise_ ,” Din reiterated. “Find a ship. The Force will take care of the rest. Go now.”

The troopers were nearly at the bottom of the steps to the Temple, led by a man in dark _jetii_ robes.

Silk and Aedo nodded. “ _Oya_ , _mand’alor_.”

“ _Oya_!” Din said in return.

His two _ori’ramikade_ ran up the stairs and disappeared into the Temple.

Din strode down the steps and stopped near the middle, Paz at his side. He didn’t intend to let the invaders any closer to the Temple than he had to. As the legion of clones approached, Din unclipped the Darksaber from his belt, held the hilt aloft, and ignited the blade.

“ _Ke’mot, vode_!” Din shouted, his helmet’s vocoder at maximum volume.

Behind their leader, the troopers slowed to a confused stop.

The robed man didn’t stop, however, and Paz tensed at Din’s side, his hands on his heavy blaster canon. The man stopped a few steps from Din and threw back his hood revealing longish, curling golden-brown hair and sickly yellow streaks in his blue eyes.

“Who are you to call them brothers?” he asked.

“I am the _mand’alor_ ,” Din said. A ripple went through the clones. Good, at least they seemed to know what the title meant. Din turned his attention back to the man in front of him. “And you are Anakin Skywalker. Or should I call you Lord Vader? It would break Ahsoka’s heart to see you now.”

“How do you know Ahsoka?” Skywalker snarled.

“We can discuss that later. Right now, I’m asking you to stand down. You’re being deceived. All of you.” His gaze swept over the clone troopers behind Skywalker. “And I won’t allow you murder innocents.”

He brought the Darksaber into a guard position. Skywalker grinned like a maniac and unclipped his lightsaber, igniting the blade. He leapt at Din, bringing his ‘saber down in an overhanded strike meant to cleave Din in half. A few years ago, Din had requested a _beskar_ gorget from the Armorer after Ahsoka had pointed out how easy it would be to just chop his head off with a lightsaber. He was thankful for it now, as Skywalker changed his overhand strike to a sweeping backhand slash as he sailed over Din’s head. As it was, the blow sent Din tumbling down a few stairs, his unpainted _beskar’gam_ ringing against the stone.

The sounds of many blasters powering up sent Din scrambling to his feet.

“I don’t particularly like mowing down men who haven’t pissed me off,” Paz said, powering up his heavy blaster canon. “But if you so much as twitch, I’ll do it.”

Trusting his _vod_ to watch his back, Din fired his grappling line at Skywalker and used it to yank the Fallen Jedi toward him. Their ‘saber blades clashed in a crackle of energy.

“I have to do this,” Skywalker growled. “You don’t understand what’s at stake.”

They sprang apart and traded a few blows before locking blades again.

“It can’t be worth the millions of lives—Jedi, clone, and civilian—you’re willing to throw away,” Din shot back.

“I would burn the whole of the Galaxy to save her,” Skywalker howled, and Force-pushed Din across the stairway.

Ka’ra _preserve us_ , Din thought. _He’s doing this for his_ riduur.

Inside the Temple, a claxon began to sound. It was past time to wrap things up.

“Paz, a little help here,” Din said over their in-bucket comm.

“Oh, so I’m not just here to look pretty?” the heavy gunner snarked.

“ _Di’kut_!” Din growled.

He threw himself at Skywalker, his black blade flashing in an attempt to keep the _dar’jetii_ from sensing Paz’s attack. Din didn’t see the blow that flattened Skywalker. One moment, the _dar’jetii_ was seriously threatening Din’s existence with his lightsaber. Then next, Skywalker was sprawled at Din’s feet, his ‘saber clattering down the Temple steps.

Paz chuckled and cracked his knuckles. “Now that’s what I call percussive recalibration.”

He grabbed Skywalker’s limp body and held the _dar’jetii_ in front of him like a shield.

Din turned to the clones. “You’re all being controlled. There’s a chip in your heads making you susceptible to someone’s orders. The Jedi aren’t your enemies. Leave this place.”

A clone with an arrow on his helmet stepped forward. “Good soldiers follow orders, and we’ve been ordered to terminate all traitors to the Republic.”

“If you continue on this course of action, _verde_ , there won’t _be_ a Republic,” Din yelled. “Your actions right here, right now will help destroy the Republic you and your _vode_ have been fighting for. That your _vode_ have died for. That Fives and Tup died for.”

A ripple ran through the clones. Din was grateful for those nights when he and Ahsoka had gotten drunk together and she’d opened up about her time in the 501st legion. It might be just what he needed to get these men thinking for themselves again.

“Look into the complaint Captain Rex filed about Fives’ death. Even your captain thought something was wrong with how that was handled.”

“Din, we’ve got to go,” Paz muttered.

Behind them, shouts were rising from the Temple.

“Are you men, or are you droids?” Din challenged. “Do you blindly follow orders telling you to kill those who’ve protected you and fought with you and bled with you through this war, or do you decide your own destinies? Don’t let the chip in your heads take away the thing you’ve fought so hard for. Your identities. It might have been a silent struggle, but I see you, _vode_. You Jedi generals see you. Don’t throw that away.”

Overhead the sound of a ship’s engines filled the air, and a shuttle landed in the plaza. The door opened and Aedo stuck his head out, gesturing to Din and Paz.

“Hurry, _mand’alor_!” the Nautolan _ori’ramikad_ shouted.

Keeping Skywalker between them and the clones, Din and Paz started for the shuttle.

The clone with the arrow stepped forward and removed his helmet.

“I’m Commander Appo, _mand’alor_. I'll look into Captain Rex’s report. _Ori’haat_! Until we get some clarity on the situation, we won’t allow anyone else into the Temple.” He turned to one of his men. “Fox, leave your weapon and go with them. So we can stay in touch, _mand’alor_.”

The trooper in question handed his blaster to another clone and started toward Din.

“Din?” Paz murmured, as they kept walking toward the shuttle.

Din nodded. “It might be a good idea to keep in communication. We still have to figure out how to get back to our own time. And what to do with Skywalker.”

“We’re bringing him with us?” Paz asked.

When Din nodded, the heavy gunner tossed Skywalker’s body into the shuttle, and followed him in.

“The _jetiise_ karked this up once already,” Din said climbing in behind Paz. “I’m not giving them the chance to do it again.”

“Sir, yes sir,” all three _ori’ramikade_ said, grinning.

The clone trooper, Fox, joined them, and climbed into the shuttle under threat of Aedo’s blaster pistol. The clone kept his hands where they could be seen and took a seat at the back of the shuttle.

“Silk, get us outta here,” Din ordered as a wave of Jedi began pouring down the Temple stairs.

The door closed as the shuttle rose into the sky.

“Where to?” Silk called back.

Din tried to think. He wanted to go to Mandalore, but wasn’t sure how Bo-Katan would greet them. He wanted to find Ahsoka, to see if he could save her from the hell that was coming, if she wasn’t living it right that second.

“Just get us away from Coruscant for now. We’ll have to try and lose any pursuit anyway.”

“Roger.”

“What do we do about this _besom_?” Paz said, his blaster trained on Skywalker.

Din looked at Aedo. “I don’t suppose you found a pair of Force suppression binders on your way through the Temple, did you?”

“Sorry, _‘alor_. Didn’t know we’d need any.”

A happy coo made all of them freeze, and Din felt like he’d been punched in the gut. From under one of the seats, a tiny green figure in tan robes trundled, dragging a pair of binders.

“ _Haran’kar_ ,” Paz muttered, sounding awed.

Din had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Grogu?”

The little one looked up at him and beamed, reaching his arms up to be lifted up.

“We didn’t bring him along. _Ori’haat, ‘alor_ ,” Aedo said, the orange markings on his lekku going pale.

Din lifted Grogu into his arms and passed the binders to Paz. “It’s fine, _verd_. If he’s here, it must be the will of the Force.”

Paz snorted as he cuffed Skywalker. “You’re starting to sound like a damn _jetii_ , _‘alor._ ”


	2. Welcome to the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things usually get worse before they get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst.  
> Angsty angst.  
> A wee bit of comfort at the end.

**Welcome to the Fire**

Sergeant Fox removed his bucket and placed it under his seat. He stayed bent over his knees a moment and breathed as the world tilted around him. Chips in their heads? Kriff! He felt ill.

“You okay there, _verd_?” the Nautolan asked.

“I . . .”

“Don’t think about it too hard,” the hulking Mandalorian in blue armor said.

“How’s the general?” Fox asked sitting up. Better to focus on anything other than a chip in his head.

The big guy and the Nautolan cast a look at where General Skywalker lay sprawled at the _mand’alor’s_ feet.

“His face is turning purple,” the big Mando said. He sounded smug.

Fox bit back a grimace. He had great respect for General Skywalker and was irritated that this _besom_ was treating the general like a karking misbehaving kid.

The _mand’alor_ sighed and removed his helmet. “Paz, you’re as subtle as a nexu in a porg nest.”

“Always, _‘alor_ ,” the big Mando, Paz, said.

General Skywalker chose that moment to wake up.

“Padmé!” the general cried, flailing.

“ _Morut’yc_ , general,” Fox said. He looked at the Mandalorians, hoping he wasn’t lying.

The Nautolan and Paz had their blasters trained on the general.

General Skywalker groaned. “Rex?”

“No, sir. It’s Fox.”

“Who’s Padmé,” Paz asked.

“His _riduur_ , I expect,” the _mand’alor_ said.

General Skywalker shot a horrified look at the silver-armored man.

“ _Udesiir, verd_ ,” the _mand’alor_ said. “Take it easy. We mean her no harm.”

“No, you don’t understand,” General Skywalker said. “She’d pregnant. I can’t leave her. She’s in danger.”

“ _Osik_ ,” the Mandos all muttered.

Fox agreed with the sentiment. He hadn’t known the general was married, much less expecting an _ad_. If she were in danger . . .

The little green being slid off the _mand’alor_ ’s lap and went to General Skywalker’s side, patting his arm.

“What’s her location?” the _mand’alor_ asked.

The general was staring at the little green being.

The _mand’alor_ reached down the grabbed the general by his tunics, and lifted him half off the floor, gaining his full attention. “Where is your wife, Skywalker?”

“The Senate Apartment Complex. The veranda’s got a landing platform.”

“Silk, change of plans,” the _mand’alor_ called to his pilot. He helped the general to his feet, scooping up the little green being as he did so, and sat him down in the co-pilot’s chair. “Give Silk directions.”

“Is this wise, sir?” the Nautolan asked.

“I don’t know, Aedo. I’m just trying to keep everyone alive right now. If Skywalker’s _riduur_ helps keep him calm, all to the better.”

“And if he tries to kill her?” Paz asked.

“The general would never harm his wife,” Fox spoke up. “He has a temper, sure, but he’d never take it out on those close to him. He saves it for the Seppies.”

The _mand’alor_ met Fox’s eyes, held his gaze as if searching for something, then nodded.

_Could the_ mand’alor _be a Jedi_? Fox wondered.

Ten minutes later, Silk pulled the shuttle into the landing platform at the apartment complex where the general’s wife lived.

“ _Ruus’alor_ ,” the _mand’alor_ said, standing.

Fox came to his feet. “Sir?”

“Go get Skywalker’s wife. Tell her that her husband needs to talk to her before he leaves on a mission. Get her to come out here to the shuttle. Don’t alarm her, and don’t let her contact anyone.”

Fox nodded and retrieved his helmet. As he tried to walk past Paz, the large Mandalorian grabbed his cuirass.

“If you try anything funny—”

“Paz, not helping,” the _mand’alor_ murmured.

The big Mandalorian let Fox go with a little shove toward the landing platform. Fox stumbled, caught himself, and hurried toward the veranda. He pulled on his bucket and straightened his armor as he went. It was late. The likelyhood that the general’s wife was in bed was high. Kark it all. He didn’t want to wake her.

A golden droid met him a few steps from the apartment.

“Good evening, sir. I am C-3PO. May I inquire why you’re approaching Senator Amidala’s apartment so late?”

“Is your mistress awake?” Fox asked.

“She is, but I hardly see—”

“Please go tell her that her husband is here to see her. The 501st is shipping out to another assignment, and General Skywalker wanted to see her before we left.”

“I’m here,” a woman’s voice called from behind the droid. “Where’s Anakin?”

Fox stared for a moment, entranced. Her dark hair was a mass of lose curls cascading around her bare shoulders, and the pale blue nightgown did nothing to hide the large bulge of her stomach.

“I-in the shuttle, ma’am,” Fox stuttered. “He received a comm from HQ right before we landed.”

She hurried past him without another word. Fox followed.

“Anakin!” the senator called as she approached the shuttle.

The general appeared in the doorway, his arms behind his back as if he stood at parade rest. He smiled. “Padmé.”

For a moment, Fox didn’t know what was going on. Had the general broken free? Surely the Mandalorians would be making a fuss if that were true. Then Fox spotted the large hand that could only belong to Paz encircling the general’s upper arm. When they were a few steps away from the shuttle, General Skywalker abruptly disappeared into the shuttle as Paz yanked him out of sight.

“Anakin!” the senator cried, rushing forward.

Fox had his hands out, ready to catch her if she should stumble, but she made the slight leap from platform to shuttle without incident. Once Fox was in the shuttle, the door closed, and they were moving. Fox steadied the general’s wife against the sudden jolt and guided her to a seat. The shuttle was getting crowded.

“Anakin? What’s going on?” Senator Amidala called.

“It’ll be alright, Padmé,” the general’s voice called from the front of the shuttle.

She looked up at Fox. “What’s going on trooper?” There was steel in her voice.

“Forgive us, senator,” the _mand’alor_ said. “There’s a lot to explain, and I don’t think you’ll believe most of it.”

She stared at the little green being in the _mand’alor’s_ arms. “Is that . . . Master Yoda?” 

* * *

Appo woke to the biggest headache he’d ever had in his life. And only part of it was from the surgery he’d just undergone.

After the Mandalorians had left with the general, Appo had had to stun several of his men; mostly shinies. They seemed unable to get past the order the chip was trying to make them obey, and had started firing at the Jedi. That had nearly been a clusterkriff of epic proportions. Luckily, the 501st veterans had been able to corral the troopers trying to shoot the Jedi, and the Jedi—led by Battlemaster Cin Drallig—had graciously listened as Appo had explained what he knew of the situation.

The stunned troopers, and anyone who looked like they were struggling with disobeying the extermination order, had been stripped of armor and weapons and rushed to holding cells within the Temple. Appo hadn’t even known the Jedi had holding cells in the Temple.

Appo make some plans with his command staff and General Drallig, then allowed himself to be led to the Halls of Healing in the Temple, where the Jedi were going to remove his biochip. 

There was a shuffle of feet, and a discrete cough. Lieutenant Wade stood at his bedside.

“How are you feeling, commander?” Wade asked.

“Like a kriffing _Venator_ just crashed into my skull.” Appo belatedly saw the Jedi healer standing behind Wade. “‘Scuse the language, ma’am.”

The Zabrak female smiled. “I’ll get you something for the pain.”

Appo returned his attention to Wade as he sat up and made himself comfortable. “ _Me’vaar ti gar_?”

“I’m assuming you want a sitrep, and not to know how I’m doing,” Wade said with a grin.

Appo rolled his eyes. “Where’s Jesse when I need him?”

Wade just grinned wider. “CG command has been sending companies of men over to help us ‘put down the Jedi insurrection’, just like you and General Drallig planned. They’re being detained and will be de-chipped as soon as the Jedi finish with the 501st.”

“Any luck contacting the commanders of other battle groups?” Appo asked.

Wade’s smile disappeared. “It’s not good, commander. Captain Deviss answered Commander Bly’s comm. General Secura is dead. Commander Bly seems to have gone into shock. He won’t talk to anyone. Deviss didn’t look good either, sir. I told them about the chips, but . . .” He shrugged.

_Too little, way too late_ , Appo thought.

“We’ve had reports that Generals Mundi, Allie, Koon, and Kenobi are dead as well,” Wade continued.

“Little Force gods,” Appo swore. “Not Kenobi too.”

“No word on Generals Luminara or Yoda yet. We had brief contact with General Billaba, but lost the signal. Reports are still coming in. The Jedi have given our comm specialists a communications room and they’re fielding incoming calls as best they can.”

Appo ran a hand over his face. He felt old. And so tired. “Have you been able to raise Captain, er, Commander Rex or Lieutenant Jesse?”

Wade shook his head. “I can’t get Captain Vaughn either. We’re still trying to raise anyone from the 332nd on Mandalore.”

“ _Osik_.”

The Zabrak healer came back into the room and gave Appo a shot with a hypospray. The pain in his head faded to a bearable level. Appo threw back the sheet and slid off the bed.

“Commander,” Wade and the Jedi said at the same time.

“Get me some blacks, Wade,” Appo said, picking at the hospital gown he wore. “I need to be in the communications room to help our boys field calls.”

“Sir!” Wade darted out of the room.

“You really should rest,” the Jedi healer said.

“No time. If the whole GAR has these chips, we’ve gotta move fast. We’re going to need people with authority—non-Jedi people for the time being—who can give orders. Have the CG commanders arrived yet?”

“Stone has. He’s in surgery now. Fox and Thire are unreachable, apparently.”

“Kark,” Appo muttered. The entire Guard basically answered to Fox, even though Stone and Thire held the same rank as him.

“Everybeing move!” a booming voice hollered from the hallway.

Appo and the Zabrak Jedi moved to the doorway and looked out. Three clones, minus upper armor, and a Besalisk Jedi in healers’ robes were running a hover gurney down the hallway.

“Get an operating theater ready now!” the Besalisk healer bellowed.

Healers jumped into action and the three clones fell back from the gurney as the healers took over.

“ _Verde_!” Appo called and motioned the three clones over. Their lower armor was painted Guard red. “What was that?”

“Sergeant Rys, sir,” one of the men said, snapping to attention and saluting. “That was General Fisto, sir. We were called to the Chancellor’s office to ‘clean up a mess’.” Rys grimaced. “We found Generals Tiin and Kolar dead. The other members of our squad took their bodies.”

“By the Force,” the Zabrak Jedi whispered. She looked pale, and Appo guided her to the bed so she could sit.

The three Guard troopers followed them into the room. Wade walked in behind them, a set of blacks under his arm.

“When we tried to move General Fisto, he attacked us,” Rys said.

“Jek, sir,” the second clone said, sketching a salute. “General Fisto’d been slashed across the abdomen by a lightsaber, but he was still alive. I . . . I tried to . . . I didn’t want to, but . . .”

“We tried to kill him,” Rys said, putting a hand on Jek’s shoulder. “We’d received an order that the Jedi were traitors and had to be put down before they could take over the Republic. But then Commander Thire appeared. Made us strip off our armor and leave our blasters. We carried the general to the commander’s speeder and brought him here.”

“It was easier not to obey the kill order with the commander there,” Jek said. He looked ashamed.

They all did.

“It’s not your fault, _vode_ ,” Appo said. “We’re going to get you all fixed up. You good with the Jedi now, or do we need to put you in a cell for a bit?”

“I’m good, sir,” Rys said. “I can control it.”

Jek nodded. The third trooped looked like he might cry.

“I’m barely hanging on, sir,” he admitted. At his sides, his hands twitched, then clenched. His eyes went to the Jedi healer and he leaned toward her. “I want to—”

“Stow that talk, Conn,” Rys interrupted, clapping a hand on the back of his squadmate’s neck. He looked at Appo. “Which way to the brig, sir?”

“Wade, take them,” Appo said.

The lieutenant tossed Appo the blacks and led the others from the room. Conn was quietly weeping as the others led him away.

“This is so horrific,” the Zabark healer said.

After a second of hesitation, Appo put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “We’ll get through it, ma’am. We just have to help each other.”

She looked up at him and two tears slid down her cheeks. Appo helped her to her feet.

“Why don’t you go see if there’s someone else you can check in on. I’m fine. If anyone asks, I’ll be in the communication center.”

She nodded and walked from the room in a daze. Appo shucked the gown and pulled on his blacks. He’d have to find his armor later, though he desperately wanted the comforting weight surrounding him. Right now, there were _vode_ and Jedi to try and save.

* * *

Wolffe couldn’t believe it. He wouldn’t. Not until he saw a body with his own eyes.

General Koon couldn’t be dead.

As soon as Jag and the other aerial scouts had returned to base and reported that the general was dead, Wolffe had grabbed a medipac and left without telling anyone.

_He can’t be dead_ , Wolffe thought to himself as he rode through the streets of the city on his stolen speeder. _He can’t_ be.

His general was too smart, too strong. He couldn’t be shot down by just karking anyone . . .

Wolffe stopped the speeder and ripped off his bucket seconds before he threw up.

“Kark,” he growled, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

He swished his mouth out with a sip from his canteen, spat, and jammed his bucket back on. He checked his HUD. He was getting close to where Jag report the crash had taken place.

Wolffe had received the order, just like every other _vod_.

Execute Order 66.

Ha. Like hell.

Genreal Koon had saved his life far too many times. Wolffe would happily throw himself on a thermal detonator if it would save the general. No way could he ever kill his Jedi. No chip in his brain was going to control him.

His HUD blinked, indicating he’d reached his target. Wolffe leapt from the speeder, grabbing the medipac.

“Where are you, you tough old Kel Dor?” he muttered, scanning the area for life signs.

Nothing.

Fek and all.

Wolffe started moving through the rubble.

“General!” he called. “General Koon!”

It didn’t take him long to find the wreckage of the general’s Aethersprite. Bits of debris was still on fire from the crash.

“General Koon!” Wolffe yelled.

There was no answer.

He began grid search. It would probably take him days to complete by himself, but he hadn’t known if he could trust any of his _vode_ with the general’s life. And didn’t that sting?

Comet, Sinker, Boost; they’d been with Wolffe and the general since before Abregado and the _Malevolence_. And with those Force-damned chips in their heads, he couldn’t trust them not to shoot Koon on sight.

“ _Osik_!” Wolffe howled, kicking a piece of broken wall. “Plo, you bastard, if you’re really dead I’m going to kill you! Where are you?!”

A low sound made Wolffe snap his head to the left.

“Plo? General?”

“. . . ‘ffe . . . ”

The voice was soft, but it _was_ a voice. He was sure of it. Wolffe ran.

“General! General, where are you?”

“Wolffe.”

There!

Wolffe pulled off his bucket and tossed it aside. In the shadow of a bombed-out building sat General Koon. His robes were in tatters. One of his protective eye filters was gone. Much of the left side of his body looked burned. But his antitox mask was in place, if slightly dented. Wolffe pulled out a bacta sprayer and went to work on the worst of the burns.

“General,” Wolffe sobbed.

Koon lifted a hand and placed it on Wolffe’s arm.

“Commander, did I just . . . hear you threaten to . . . to kill me?”

Wolffe nodded and wiped at his tears. “Only if you were already dead, sir. There must be some karking Force _osik_ that could bring you back long enough for me to give you a piece of my mind.”

The general huffed a laugh and relaxed. Wolffe belatedly saw the lightsaber hilt pointed at his abdomen.

“Wolffe—”

Wolffe slid a hand around the back of Koon’s neck and gently brought their foreheads together.

“Just rest, _buir_. I’ve got you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. _Ori’haat_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:
> 
> Verd - soldier/warrior; plural - verde  
> Mand’alor - sole ruler  
> Besom - ill-mannered lout  
> ‘Alor - leader, chief, officer, boss; can also be used to mean 'General'  
> Morut’yc - safe, secure  
> Riduur - husband/wife/spouse/partner  
> Udesiir - relax, take it easy, calm down  
> Osik - shit  
> Ad - son/child  
> Ruus’alor - sergeant  
> Me’vaar ti gar - How are you? (Lit: what’s new with you?) Can also be used to ask a soldier for a sitrep.  
> Vod - brother/sibling; plural - vode  
> Buir - father/parent  
> Ori’haat - It’s the truth, I swear.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando’a:
> 
> ori’ramikad/ori’ramikade - supercommando/supercommandos  
> verd/verde - warrior/warriors  
> osik - shit  
> mand'alor - sole ruler  
> jetii/jetiise - Jedi/Jedi (plural)  
> ad - son/child  
> buy'ce/ buy'cese - helmet/helmets  
> oya - literally ‘Let's hunt!’, also ‘Stay alive!’, but also ‘Hoorah!’  
> ke’mot - halt  
> vod/vode - brother/brothers  
> beskar’gam - armor (lit. iron skin)  
> ka’ra - stars (ancient Mandalorian myth - ruling council of fallen kings)  
> riduur - husband/wife/spouse/partner  
> di'kut - idiot  
> dar’jetii - Sith  
> besom - ill-mannered lout, someone with no manners  
> haran’kar - holy hell  
> ori’haat - It's the truth, I swear.


End file.
